Stealth Part 8
by Wayne7793
Summary: The continuing adventures of David and Inara. Felicia returns and explains more of her origins as Inara finds out more of her new lover.


**CHAPTER XXXIV**

They trained for another week, before grabbing their meager belonging and checking out the motel in Queenstown. Inara was eager to head back north to Algeria, to find Darin again. David worried more about Felicia, but heard nothing from her. He pouted but dutifully kept his training up, a good warrior mindset forming and making Inara proud!

After a week on the road, they decided to take a flight instead of risking another encounter with a pirate ship. The plane took them back to Algeria and they landed near midnight, local time. David was sleepy and Inara was wound up, the thoughts of marrying the hunky commander still boiling in her head. She was bouncing and almost drank too much coffee, before the last cup jittered out of her hand. David woke up at the sound of splashing liquid, hitting the floor, "Sorry… I'm really nervous!" David chuckled, "Just breathe ok? He likes you, right? No, I bet he loves you, I can see it in your face."

Inara looked at him, "What do you dream about?" David frowned, "Not much lately, the images are broken up, kinda fuzzy…" He stood up, "We better get going, ok?" He held out his hand, to show her his strength and trust in her judgment, "Thanks!" she blushed and they hailed a taxi, looking for the nearest military hospital. The taxi took them to a local base, newly built, by the newly allied Australian-American embassy. It was called the New Venture Memorial Hospital.

David laughed really loud, "That's an odd name for a hospital!" Inara sighed, "It may be a sign. I've been seeing them everywhere…" and she walked up to the admission desk. She asked about where a Commander Hickey was at. The front nurse asked who she was. Inara fibbed, "I'm his girlfriend and this is my friend… uh, Wayne.." The two head nurses looked at each other and shrugged, "We need ID, lady… sorry.."

David remembered a Polish military ID he had kept all these years, his dad's, "Um, this is kinda old, but my Name is John Wayne Freeman. I'm a scientist from Poland, here on a top-secret mission. I'm sorry my ID is old, but it should check out." The nurse ran it through a scanner. It was indeed old, about 20 years old, but checked out. She cocked an eyebrow at him, "How old are you, kid?" David stammered for a bit, looking at Inara, "I'm … um, 42.. I had some top secret surgery done on me to make me look younger, it seems to have worked. I fooled you, didn't I?"

The nurse looked at the picture on the ID. It did look like this kid, but much older, "You got a second ID, a civilian ID to compare this with?" David almost ran out of ideas and wanted to leave when a guard came in, "Hey, Inara, how are you? Have you found your guy yet?" The nurse looked at the guard, "Do you know these people?" The guard smiled, "Yeah, lady, this is Commander Darin Hickey's girlfriend. I met her back in Somalia. She wanted to talk to her guy then. You giving her a hard time?"

The nurse reluctantly let them through. Inara kept staring at the strange guard, not sure who he was. He winked, "It's ok, Inara, I know Darin personally. He told me of the odd dreams he had of you. I knew the other guard who escorted you out last time. I want my best pal to be happy, so I figured I owed him one. He saved my life in the battlefield. He's a fucking hero!!"

**CHAPTER XXXV**

The guard came with them to a white double door, "I can't enter, I'm not an officer, sorry…" and left the two there. Inara started to ask how she can get in, when a doctor poked his head, "Are you John Freeman's son?" David started, "Yeah, how did you know?"

The doctor stepped out, thick glasses, studying David, "You don't know me, but I knew your dad. He was working on a top-secret experiment and the ingredients were being hauled by tanker when it collided with an APC. Commander Darin Hickey was on that APC and was injured from the accident. I'm tending to him now. Are you Inara?" Inara was shocked, "What the fuck is going on?" She stared back and forth between the doctor David, "How do you know this guy?"

The doctor extended a hand, "I'm sorry, ma'am, my name is Dr. Ralph Hellman. I knew David's father from 15 years ago. He and I were fellow scientists until David married and moved to Poland. I never saw him again. How are your parents, David?" David blanched, this man didn't know! He slowly explained what happened and Ralph's face turned white, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry… I remember seeing a picture of you when you were 7 or so. My you've grown up. Have you met a girl yet?" David blushed and Inara giggled. He licked his lips, "Well, kind of… long story.."

The doctor shrugged this off and apologized, "Well, I must run, another patient needs my care. Take care, David. I'm so sorry to hear about your parents. Your dad was a good man, he loved his community very much as well as your mother." And he left. David blinked, "Wow, I really didn't know about that haha.." Inara punched him lightly, "Well, I hope I can see him, dammit, I've been waiting way too long…"

**CHAPTER XXXVI**

They found a special operating room and 6 doctors, specialists in burn and chemical victims, milling around. Inara asked them about Commander Hickey. Two of the doctors stayed and chatted while the other 4 left to continue treatment for the commander, "We are unique specialists. The poor commander was exposed to radiation, plutonium-289, to be exact, which was mixed with some new polymers invented by his dad." They pointed and looked at David. David blinked, "I never knew what he worked on, honest…"

Inara pouted, "David, what was your dad working on?" David comforted her in the waiting lounge, "I thought he was working on car designs and maybe advanced weaponry. I didn't know about all this… I'm sorry. You know I would never let Darin get harmed!" She started to cry, "I just don't want him to die.." and he held her as she sobbed for several moments.

Two hours later, two specialists came out and updated Inara on the commander's condition, "We think he'll pull through. He's on life-support again, but he's getting stronger. You might be able to talk to him tomorrow. Please get some rest, we'll call you when he can talk. Would you like to come back and visit him?" Inara smiled, "Yes… please… I love him so much. I dreamed about him…"

Dr. Jessica Blackheart nodded, "I know, dear, he mumbles your name in his sleep, even to this day." She smiled, "You have to be strong and be there for him." Inara nodded, "Thanks!" Dr. Blackheart smiled, "Of course, I'm a strong supporter of life, I'm a liberal, but believe technology can help anyone…" She and the other specialist left. Inara and David handed a nurse a datapad with their number on it. She quickly entered the info and thanked them, "I'll make sure you get a call when we find out, ok?" Inara wiped tears away, "I'm sorry I cried, I have to be strong!" David looked at her, "You're very strong, just human… it's ok, you feeling better now?" Inara nodded, "Yeah, I am now."

The two pals walked out into the parking lot when a weird sound went off. It came from a black car parked four rows away. Inara and David ran towards the noise, wondering if someone was carjacking a nurse's car. They found Felicia! She was happily tooting her joy at being noticed. David went up and hugged her, "Oh, I missed you, where were you??" She replied in his head, "I was ok, not to fret, just needed to teach you a lesson, about friendship and protecting yourself. Inara?" Inara turned, "Yes, Felicia?"

The car mentally winked, "Well, I'm impressed, my friend. Your training was well received by a prodigy and now he knows it even without the change! Thank You!" Inara chuckled, "Wow, you were fine all the time? I was kinda worried…" She patted the car hood, "You're really cool, and so is your guy!" she smiled, "Well, hopefully I hear from Darin tomorrow, I can't wait!" She squealed and ran off to the street.

David started to open the door when Felicia chimed up, "Listen, little one, there are some secrets you're ready to know. I know you'll appreciate me telling you how your became Stealth. Your dad had more to do with it than you realize!" David stopped, "What? I prayed for this power, not him!" Felicia laughed in his head, then stopped. "I'm sorry, but this was prepared for many years before you accepted the change. I'll explain later, ok?" David was left puzzled but was quiet for now. He wondered what she meant and was anxious to know where this incredible power came from!

**CHAPTER XXXVII**

The next day, at about 11 am local time, the phone rang. Inara eagerly grabbed it, "Hello?" She listened for a bit then her eyes got wide, "Hey, you!" …. "I'm good, I wanted to see you, but they told me you were really sick.." … "You ok?"…. she nodded, "Yeah, he told me, that David's dad knew about the accident…" David left her to be alone and confronted Felicia, who was back to a regular panther, "Listen, no offense, I love you with all my heart, but I want to know what happened? How did I get these powers? What's your story?"

Felicia rewound and started from the beginning, "Well, in the year 2034, I was born and bred to be cybernetically enhanced and to never breed on my own. I was actually enhanced to be smarter than the chimps they experimented on and they came up with my name. It was no coincidence I was named after your mom, she named me!" David sat there stunned, "So, um, I didn't name you? She did?" Felicia chuckled, "Well, my actual code name was Felicon7793, but I like what you call me now." She purred and David felt a little erect and blushed.

He petted her, "What else can you tell me at this time?" She stopped and thought, "Well, your suit and my powers were derived from dual orbs that were copies of government experiments of alien technology. They surmise it was aliens who traveled back in time from the year 3033!" David blanched, "So, we do use 30th century technology!" She nodded, "Indeed. A UFO landed in Arizona and I can show you where the remains are, the government never found all of them!" David jumped up, "Wow, my dreams tell me that I was meant to go there sometime. I never been to America before, have you?" Felicia lapped her paw, "A few times, the circus I was with bought me from a Russian lab that your dad knew about. I was carried back and forth from zoo to zoo with Ringling Brothers, for being such a docile and compliant cat. I made a small fortune of my own and it's held in a Swiss Bank account. When I turn back into Felicia, accept the change, I can access the codes. I'm almost as rich as you are!"


End file.
